Switch-signal.



R. B. CUNNINGHAM. SWITCH SIGNAL.

nrmonlox rmzn ooT. a, 190s.

920,030. y Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

lIIU'- 'I wc f 9'/ L."

ROY B. CUNNINGHAM,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SWITCH-SIGNAL.

Application filed October 8, 1908.

Specioation of Letters Patent.

Patented April 27', 1909.

Serial No. 456,786.

To all whom it' may concern.'

Be it li'nown that I, Roi B. OUNNiNGnnit-, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Oooh and State 01"' Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Signals, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to railway switch signals, and particularly to that class of signals which indicate whether a switch is open or closed, the object of mv invention being to provide a device which is adapted, when the switch to which it is attached is left open, to give an alarm, this alarm being preferably the ringing of a bell which shall continue until the switch is again closed.

The invention consists in the arrangement l of parts and details of construction set forth in the accompanying specification and particularly stated in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a plan view of a section of track with my device applied l Fig. 2, is an enlaiged plan view thereto. partly in section ot the signalnig mechanism detached. Fig. 3, is a fragmental detail of the joint between the two sections of the signal rod.

In the drawings l indicates the rails of a bar 5 so that the two points will move together to open or close the main line 0i' the branch.

Attached to the switch points and preferably the point 3 is a signal rod formed in two sections 6, 6, the section 6 is preferably atj tached to the base ange of the switch point l 3, and at its free end has a jointed connec tion with the section 6 whose extremity is wedge-shaped as at 6.

7 designates a boX or casing having vertical side walls, a top, and a base S adapted to be attached to a sleeper. This box is formed with the end walls Q, Q and the intermediate wall 9.

l0, the outer end of which is formed with the wedge-shaped head or termination ll square in section adapted to engage with the wedgeshaped terminal end 6 of the rod 6.

The rod 6 is at right angles to the plunger l0 and Supported in bearings in the interj Amediate wall 9 and the wall 9 is a plunger inoves in a guide passage 12 formed on the end of the box or casing. Preferably the rod 6 is square and the guide passage l2 is also f square so that the rod 6 cannot turn therein, i but must move easily and smoothly bacliward and forward in the passage as the switch l, is thrown to one position or the other. In order that the plunger l0 shall not rotate l either, I. form a square Opening in the rear j wall through which the square head Il of the l plunger slides. In order to get a good bearj ingvfor this square head, I form flanges 9X on l the box which project inwardly and surround the square head l1, thus holding it -iirinly and giving it a solid support for its movement, so that it may be accurately presented against the end of the rod 6. When the iod 6 is 1 moved inward by the throwing of the switch to the dotted lines in Fig. l, its wedge-like j terminal contacts with the head l1 and j forces up the plunger l0 against the resistance of a coil spring 13 which surrounds the plunger and bears at one end against the intermediate wall 9.

The plunger' 10 projects through the intermediate wall and bears against a resilient circuit closer 14 which is in the form o'l' a flat j spring, 'fast at one end to a contact post 15, section of track, 2 indicating one of the rails which passes through the side of the box or '1 casing. The other end of the resilient ciri cuit closer is free, but is adapted to be forced inward by the inward movement oll the plun` ger and into contact with the contact post l, likewise projecting through the end ol' the box. These Contact posts are of course insulated from the box and are connected to binding posts I6 from which wires 17 are i carried to a bell or other signal 18 and a battery 19 in circuit therewith. The inner end of the plunger 10 is of course insulated as at I 16 where it beais against the spring 14.

The operation of my device is obvious. lllhen the switch point is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. l, the rod 6 is withdrawn from any wedging engagement with the plunger I0. Then however the switch point is thrown to the position shown in dotted lines, opening the branch track, the rod 6 is moved inward, wedging outward the plunger l0 which closes the circuit by means of the spring 13 and permitting the current to actuate the bell or other suitable signaling device. This signaling device is placed either within a signaling tower, in a watchmans shanty, or in any ,l other desired location where its signal will be heard. So long as the switch is thrown from the main line, so long the bell will sound.

lt will be seen that the action of the rod 6 upon the head 11 of the plunger is particularly positive for the reason that once the sional rod has heen forced inward to its full extent, it will have forced the plunger outward and the plunger being held against the flat side of the rod beyond the lower edge of the wedge-shaped terminal cannot possibly be forced inward again until the switch is thrown haci; to its former position. Thus the plunger is locked when the switch is open to the siding.

The device is extremely simple, and particularly compact. All the parts are fully protected by the casing and there is no danger of ice or snow accumulating around the joints of the signal rod, so as to prevent its operation. Even if ice or snow should accumulate by chance within the guide passage l2, the wedge-shaped end of the rod 6 would act to clean the passage and guide way of ice or snow that might accumulate therein. In the same way the two wedge-shaped faces of the plunger and rod acting against each other will tend to keep them clean so that a good wedging action may take place.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. ln a switch signal, a signal rod connected to the switch point to be moved by and with the same, a casing into which said rod extends, a longitudinallyT movable plunger in said casing adapted to be shifted when the rod is moved, separate contact posts, a resilient circuit closer attached to one of said posts and bearing against the end of the plunger normally out of contact with the other of said posts, 1out adapted to be forced into contact therewith upon the actuation of the plunger, and electrical connections from said contact posts to a signal.

2. ln a switch signal, a signal rod connected to the switch point to be moved by and with the same and having at its outer end a wedge-shaped termination, a casing into which said rod enters, a longitudinally movable plunger arranged at right angles to said signal rod and having at one end a wedge-shaped termination adapted to be engaged by the wedge-shaped termination of the signal rod, separate contact posts, a resilient circuit closer attached to one of said posts and bearing against the end of the plunger and normally out of contact with the other of said posts but adapted to be forced into contact with the other of said posts upon the actuation of the plunger, and electrical connections from said contact posts to a signal,

3. In a switch signal, a signal rod connected to the switch point to be laterally shifted by the same and having a wedgeshaped termination, a casing having end walls and an intermediate wall, a plunger mounted in the rear and intermediate wall of the and having at one end a wedgeshaped termination projecting through the rear wall of said casing and into contact with the wedge-shaped end of said rod, a spring for forcing said plunger outward, separate contact posts mounted in the front wall AofV the casing hut insulated therefrom, a flat spring attached to one of said contact posts and bearing against the inner end of the plunger and out of contact with the other of said posts, and electrical connections from said contact posts to a signal.

1i. ln a switch signal, a signal rod connected to the switch point to be laterally shifted by and with the saine, said rod having a wedge-shaped termination, a casing having a guide passage on its rear end into which said bar enters, front and rear walls formed on said casing, an intermediate wall therein, a plunger shiftably supported on the rear and the intermediate wall and having a wedge-shaped outer end, a spring for forcing` said plunger rearward and into contact with the end of the signal rod, contact posts projecting through the front wall of the casing and having binding posts connected therewith, wires leading from said binding posts to a signal, and a spring attached to one of said contact posts normally bearing against the plunger but adapted to he forced by the plunger into contact with the other of said posts to complete the circuit.

5. in a switch signal, switch points connected at their rear ends and moved together', a signal rod made in two sections pivoted to each other and connected to the switch points, the outer end of the outer section 1oeing square in section and wedge-shaped at its extremity, a casing having a square guide passage formed on its rear end into which said rod projects, a plunger mounted in said casing having a square head with an inclined terminal. face adapted to engage with the inclined end of the signal rod, a spring for forcing said plunger against the signal rod, binding posts located in the wall of said casing and having contact posts projecting into the casing, wires leading therefrom to suitable electrical signaling devices, and a resilient circuit closer attached at one end to one of said contact posts bearing normally against the end of said plunger and adapted to be forced against the other contact post when the plunger is shifted inward.

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOY B. CUNNINGHAM. `ilv'litnesses:

JANET E. HOGAN, HELEN F. LILLrs. 

